Moving-picture machine.



J. A. CAMERON. MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

I I APPLICATION FILED SEPT-24; QIZ- RENEWED DEC. 17-1917. 1 274,242. rPatented July 30, 1918.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. A. CAMERON. MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

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vices which have heretofore been used, is that they are designed toexert a certain fixed tension upon the film, and this regard- .15

- and uneven as to UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

aamzs A. CAMERON, or BR OKLYN, NEW YORK, AssI'CNOR To GAMERONPIGTUREMACHINE CO., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE;

. Patented July so, 1918. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 24, 1912, Serial No. 722,010. RenewedDecember 17, 1917. Serial No. 207,627.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMESA; CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city andState of New York, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements inMoving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification. p

My present invention has reference to a tension device for holding thefilm under A common less of the surface conditions of the film. Thesurface 'of the commercial film varies considerably, some films,'orevensections of the same film, being relatively smooth and uniform incharacter, sections of film maybemore or less rough surface. Theordinary tension device being certain fixed tension, does not take intoaccount these variations in thesurface of the filmand hence the actualtension exerted on the filmby these accordance with thefilm. The actionof the tension device may be either intermittent or continuous and ineither event the better practice is to have the tension device exert itstension,

upon the film during at least a portion of the time that theintermittent 'film advancmorev absolute control.

istry at the exposure ing means is operating to advance the film,

for by so doing,,the tension device exerts a upon the film, and therebyfilm under better and Theaction of the tension device thus bears adirect rela-tion,to the operation of the film advancing means, since theone acts'in opposition to the other.

While the film advanclngmeans is acting to retarding efiect assists inkeeping the advance the film, the tenslon device is exerting its tensionto retard the film, and if the tension varies, as it does with thetension devices in present use,

will vary. This variation n load on the advancing means is Objectionablein that it prevents accurate regopening, and especially is this truewhere the film advancing means. is of the beater type.

.In order to reduce to a minimum the time consumedin shifting the film,the film is of the film, And since'to secure absolute exposure opening,

fault of, tension 'de-' whileotherfilms .or

- state that my invention various objections and to designed merelytoexert at device which w1ll' main.

prior devices will vary in the surface conditions of vposure Openingthen the .load on the moved down past, the exposure opening at arelatively high rate of speed, and this quick movement necessarily addsa certain amount vlces the tension exerted upon the film will varyaccording to the'surface characteristics and hence-will be non-uniform.register at the the retarding effect of the tenslon device should beuniform, it will be understood thatone of the reasons for the lack oftrue register in the present machines is due to this lack film.

Having outlined in a general waysome of the present difficulties in theart, I would has as its'object to Overcome these provide a tension vtain a substantially uniformtension on the film regardless of'thesurface conditions of the film. I

In its bodies a=tension device in which there is provided a support overwhich .the film passes,

a stop in proper regopening. It has been pointed out how with thepresent tension de-- of uniform tension on the preferred form theinvention emand clampingmeans arranged to engage the film passing overthe support, adapted 'to automatically adapt itself to irregularities inthe surface of the film, whereby to compensate for such irregularitiesand maintain a substantially uniform tension on the film. In thespecific. form herein disclosed, the film support is the member in whichthe exand the clamping means takes the form of a plurality oflongitudinally alined clamping shoes arranged to engage' 'the film atboth sides of the exposure Opening, and which are so mountedv as to -yield readi'ly at any point intheir length so selves automatically, toany irregularitiesin Various'other features of the invention will appearas the specification proceeds. I have, in the accompanying drawings,illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, but I would have itunderstood that variouschanges and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

of the machine is formed, I

as to accgmmodate them- 15 the gate taken on the line 7-7 ofFig. 5.

In the drawings: r Figure 1 is a broken and more or less diagrammaticview of a moving picture machine embodying my present lmprovements. Fig.2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the tension device takensubstantially on the line 22 of Figs. 2 and 6.

Figs. 3 and 1 are detail views respectively of a set of-the clampingshoes, and one of the tension springs. v

Fig. 5 is-a view of the-clamping gate, look.

I in? at the outside of the same.

V of the exposure opening device preferably ig. 6 is a similar viewlooking at the in slde of the gate.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 8 is a like sectionalview takenon line 8 -8. of Fig. 5.

may be withdrawn from a suitable support and advanced to the tensiondevice by of a feeding sprocket 14:.

i In its detailed construction the tension consists of a backing orsupport 15, over the face of which the film passes, and clamping meansin the form of means .a series of longitudinally alined shoes 16,

the film against the support which press These so-called' clamping shoesare disposed in longitudinal alinement at each side 17. of the machine,so as to hold't-hat portlon of film which is being exposed or exhibited.The exposure opening is here shown as formed in the film support 15. Theclamping shoesv of each set are mounted so as to yield freely andindependently'ofeach other. This is accomplished in .the presentinstance by supporting them on flexible hanger straps To this end theThe shoes are secured to their supports by screws 19 or other suitablefastenings and are furthermore securedin such a way as to permit theindividual shoes to yield freely at any point in the length thereof.shoes are preferably each secured at a point intermediate the ends ofthe same, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 7. An abutment 20, is preferablyprovided to hold the body of the shoe out of contact with the supportingstrap except-at the very point of support. This method of mounting theshoes permits each shoe to rock freely about its center of support.

To facilitate threading the film through the machine, the tension deviceis preferably made so that it may be opened up to release its hold onthe film. This is conveniently accomplished. by mounting the clampingdethe means for intermittently ad- I vices on a gate 21, hinged at 22,so that it may be swung to carry the clamping shoes elther into or outofengagement with the film passing over the support. For the purpose-ofguiding and holding the clamping.

shoes of each set in proper longitudinal alinement, they are preferablyreceived and guidedwithin the parallel slots 23 in the gate.

Tension means of a suitable character is 'employed for forcing theclamping shoes with a yielding pressure against the film; such clampingmeans in the present case takes the form of the springs 24 which havetheir opposite ends bent under, as indicated at 25, to bear upon two ofthe adjoining clamping shoes. These springs exert their tension upon theclamping shoes at points intermediate the ends of such shoes for thereason, as before pointed out, of permitting the shoes to yield at anypoint in the length of the same. The tension may therefore beconveniently applied to the shoes by having the ends of the tensionsprings bear upon the screws of other fastening means by which the shoesare secured in place, substantially as indicated in Fig. 7 The tensionsprings are supported in any convenient manner and for the purpose ofsecuring a certain adjustment of the tension, the springs are here shownas mounted. in a support 26 which is adjustable toward and away from thegate which carries it. This support, as best shown in Fig. 8, is heremade of spring metal fastened at its upper end at 27 to the gate, andmade adjustable toward and away from. the gate by means of the adjustingscrew-28 which is mounted on a stud 29 fast to the gate and has abearing against the support 26. When the spring support is thus itselfmade of spring metal, the tension springs might be formed integral withthe support, but for convenience of re lacement the tension springs areprefera ly made separate from the support which carries ,them. Apreferred way of securing the tension springs upon the support is shownin Figs. 5 and 7 wherein thev support is provi ed with guides 30 at itslower end to receive the springs, in which guides the respective springsmay be held by any suitable means, such as studs 31 in an opening 32 inthebody portion of each of the springs.

The tension device may be designed to exert either a continuous or anintermittent which enter i is arranged to engage a lug 3-1 on the gate(see Figs. 1 and 2).

In the handling of fresh or sticky I of support but 'll'lg means 111 afilm, a certain amount of the emulsion on the face of the film is liableto be scraped off by the various devices through which the film passes.If no provision were made, this emulsion might accumulate upon the faceof the clamping shoes, which might cause an increase in the tensionexerted by said shoes. To prevent such happening, I provide meanswhereby to prevent any. accumulation of emulsion upon the face of theclamping shoes. The means for this purpose here consists in making theshoes with a longitudinal groove 35 in the face of the same. With thisconstruction the emulsion or other foreign material instead of adheringto the face of the clamping shoes, passes on into this groove in theshoe where it can do no harm. This grooving'of the face of the clampingshoes thus makes them self-cleaning.

In the operation of the invention, as so far described, when a clot,obstruction or other roughness on the face of the film passes beneaththe first clamping. shoe, the said shoe simply'rocks outwardly aroundits center of support and Without increasing the tension to any sensibledegree. As the obstruction passes on down, the shoe simply rocks fartherout, the shoe thereby automat1- cally adjusting itself tothe'obstruction. At the time the obstruction passes under the point ofsupport of the shoe, the shoe will no longer be able to rock about itscenter will be forced outward bodily. If no provision were made forthis, this'bodily shifting of the shoe might cause a detrimentalincrease in the tension. I provide for this tension springs relativelyflexible andof considerable length, as best shown'in Fig. 7. Thedoubling under of the ends of the springs serves to increase theirlength without adding materiallyto their bulk. The

springs are thus made so sensitive that the slight outward movementoccasioned by the obstruction passing under the center of support forthe shoe, does not occasion any material lnorease in the tension on thefilm. in the accomplishment of a is the making of the holdseries ofrelatively short members instead of a single long clamping bar, as inthe tension devices heretofore constructed. This arrangement causes abreaking up and distribution of the tension, and these'various featurescombine to make the tension device act in such a way as to com- Anotherfactor uniform tension 'pensate automatically for the variousinequalities in the surface of the film so as to maintain the tensionupon the film substantially uniform.

. .Th e clamping gate is provided with an open ng 36 to register withthe exposure openln in the film support, and for the purpose o securelyholding the fihn at the ex ofthe exposure opening,

or other materialthe film so as to leave a contingency by making the Yshoes is preferably arranged so as to overlap, or at least extend acrossthe full width substantially as indicated in Fig. 6. he pressure of thetension springs is preferably adjusted to iron out any wrinkles theremay be in the film v .im 7 V The heat of the beam of light passingthrough the film at the exposure opening is sometimes sufficient to setthe film onfire.

A feature of my invention consists in confining any such blaze that mayoccur, strictly to that portion of film at the exposure opening. Iaccomplish this result by restricting the film passage in the tensiondevice adjacent the exposure opening to such an extent as to smother-anyblaze in the film. In Fig. 2 is shown how the face of the clamping gate(represented here by the line 37), when the gate is closed, is spacedapart from free passage for the film.' In like'fashion the film support.is preferably recessed, as indicated at 38, to provide a like freespace at the opposite side of the film. Means for restricting thisclamping gate may be in any suitable form,

and the same here consists in forming theclamping gate with raisedportions 39 adjacent the exposure opening and preferably both above andbelow said opening. These raised portions restrict the film passage tosuch a point as to confine and limit any blaze which may be generated atthe exposure opening strictly to that P01131011 of .film then framed inthe exposure opening.

As the clamping shoes bear upon the edges of the film at each side ofthe exposure opening, these will prevent any blaze in the film fromspreading sidewise. Hence by my inventio'n, if the film shouldcatch fireat the theonly portion that can be burned will be the small piece offilm then framed in the exposure opening. Thus practically only the onepicture in a film can be destroyed by fire, and this will beaccomplished without breaking or interrupting the continuity in thefilm.

exposure opening,

Means also are preferably provided for 3 preventing any sidewiseshifting of the film during its passage past the exposure opening. ofshoulders 40 on are arranged tobe engaged by the side edges of the filmso as to guide the same in a straight path.

What is claimed is 1. A moving picture machine comprising: a filmsupport, and means for holding the film in engagement with the support,including a plurality of longitudinally alined clamping members,yielding supportlng means for said clamping members to permltindependent yielding of said clamping mem- Such means is here shown inthe form the film support, which bers to the variation in thesurface ofthe tion in the surface of the of longitudinally alinedto maintain asubstanfilm, and tension means interconnecting said clamping members tomaintain a substantially uniform tension regardless of-the independentyielding of said members.

2. A moving picture machine Comprising: a film support, and means forholding the film in engagement with the support includ-. ing: two setsof longitudinally alined clamping members, a yielding supporting meansfor each set of longitudinally alined ing members, to permit independentyielding of each clamping member to the variafilm, and tension means foreach set clamping members tially uniform tension on the. clampingmembers of each set regardlessof the independent yielding of eithermember of said set.

3. The combination with a film support, of means for holding the film inengagement with the same comprising two independently movable clampingmembers arranged in 1011- gitudinal alinement, and a double-endedspringhaving its opposite ends bearing upon the intermediate portion of therespective clamping members and permitting the same to yieldindependently. under itstenslon.

4. The combination with a film support provided with an exposure openingtherein,-

of means for holding the film in engagement with the support comprisinga hinged gate,

independently movable clamping members supported in longitudinalalinement on said gate, and a spring supported on the gate having armsextending in opposite directions and engaging the intermediate portionsof adjacent clamping members.

5. The combination with a film support, of means for holding the film inengagement with the same comprising two sets of clamping membersarranged in parallelism, each set consisting of a plurality oflongitudinally alined and independently movable members, and springmeans engaging each of the longitudinally allned clamping members at apoint intermediate its ends to yieldingly force the same toward the filmsupport.

6. The combination with a film support provided with an exposure openingtherein, of parallel clamping shoes arranged to engage the film onopposite sides of the exposure opening, the said shoes havinglongitudinal grooves in the contact faces thereof, and means for forcingthe shoes toward the film support with a yielding pressure.

7. The combination with a film support provided with an exposure openingtherein, of a plurality of independently movable longitudinal alinedclamping shoes arranged ,to

engage the film at opposite sides of the exposure opening, the saidshoes having longitudinal grooves in the contact faces thereof, andmeans for forcing the respective clampa yielding pressure.

8. The combination with a film support 1 provided with an-exposureopening therein, of a gate hinged to the film support provided with anopening in line' with the exposure opening, the said gate havingparallel slots therein arranged to lie on opposite sides of the exposureopening, flexible supporting straps overlying said slots, clamping shoesguided in the slots and secured to the straps soas to be supportedthereby, and springs acting upon the respective clamping shoes at wardthe film support with a sure.

'9. The combination with provided with an exposure open ng therein, of aate hinged to the film support and' provided with an opening in linewith the exposure opening, independently movable and longitudinallyalined clamping shoes carried by the ate and arranged to engage theedges of the film at opposite sides of the exposure opening, anddouble-ended springs carried by the gate at opposite sides of theopenlng therein, each of saidsprings having its opposite ends bentinwardly and the extremities thereof bearing upon adjacentlongitudinally alined clamping shoes at points intermediate theendsof said shoes.

gate and arranged to bear u'pon'the film at, he exposureopening,

opposite 1 sides of means supporting the shoes at points intermediatethe ends of the. same whereby said shoes may rock upon the centers ofsupport and means for forcing the shoes toward the film support with ayielding, pressure.

12. ,Ina moving picture machine, the combinationwith ayfilm supportprovided with of a clamping an exposure opening therein, gate movablyrelated to the film support, a plurality of longitudinally alinedclamping shoes carried, by the gate and arranged to bear upon the filmat opposite sides of the exposure opening, means supporting the clampingshoes at points intermediate the points intermedlate I theends of thesame to force said shoes to.-' yielding preslm support providedwith' thefilm support, shoes'carried by the a film support 11( bination with afilm support provided with shoes carried-by the e ends of the samewhereby the shoes may rock of support and tension sion devicefor holdingthe film under ten-.

sion, comprising, a backing over which the film passes, a plurality oflongitudinally alined and independently movable clamping members,tension means for forcing the said clamping members toward the backingwith a yielding pressure, a movable support for such tension means, andmeans for. shifting such support to vary the pressureexerted by thetension means.

14:. A tension device machines, comprising, a baclfing over-which thefilm passes, longitudinal clamping members arranged to press the edgesof the film against said backing, tension means. acting on the clampingmembers, amovable support for the tension means, and means forshift ingthe said support to erted by the tension means.

15. In a moving picture machine, a ten-' sion device for holding thefihn under tension, comprising, a backing over which'the film passes, aplurality of longitudinally alined and independently movable clampingmembers,

joinin clamping members. I 16. In a moving picture machine, the comwitha film support over'which the of a gate hinged with respect binationfilm passes, thereto .and line withthe edge portions of the film passingover the support, flexible supports on the gate, overhanging the slotstherein, aplurality of longitudinally alined clamping shoes engaged ineach of the slots and supported by the flexible supports aforesaid, andtension means acting on the said clamping shoes.

17 In a moving picture machine, the combination with a film support overwhich the film passes of a gate hinged with respect thereto and havingparallel slots therein in line with the edge portions of the film,passing over the support, flexible supports on the gate,

plurality of longitudinally alined clamping shoes engaged-in each oftheslots and supfiexible supports aforesaid, and springs mounted over theclam ing shoes, each having its opposite ends ent under and engaging twoof the clamping shoes.

ported by the 18. In a movingpicture machine, the combination with afilm support over which the film passes, of a gate hinged with respectfor moving picture.

'in to provided further with raised portions advary the pressure exandsprings each supported .at an intermediate point andhaving its opposite,ends turned under and bearing upon two ad-- having parallel slotstherein in with the overhanging theslots therein, a,

thereto and having para llel slots therein in line with the edgeportions of the film passi ing over the 'support,iflexible supports onthe gate, overhangin the slots therein, a plurality of longitudinallyalined clamping supports aforesaid, a movable supporting member mountedon the gate, means for adjusting said supporting member to carry ittoward or away from the gate, and tension springs carried by the shoesengaged in each-of the slots and supported by the flexible movablesupport, each having its opposite ends-bearing upon .two adjoiningclamping shoes. j

19'. The combination with a film support provided with an exposureopening therein, of a clamping gate hinged with respect to the filmsupport and carrying tension meansto engage the film passing over thefilm sup port, the said gate having an opening thereregister witlrtheexposure opening'and thesaid gate having an opening therein in line withthe exposure opening and arranged when in closed operative position toprovide aspace between the face of the film support and the body of thegate, and means for restricting the space between the film support andgate adjacent to the. exposure opening, whereby'to prevent a blaze ofthe film at the exposure 0 ening being communicated to the rest of thefihn 21. The combination with a film support provided with an exposureopening therein, of a gate hinged with respect to said support andprovidcd with an opening in line support and arranged by ing over the fiholdthe body such pressure on the film to a of the gate. spaced fromftheface'of the film ing being communicated to the adjoining New Yorkand-State of 17th day of September, A. D. 1912.

JAMES A. CAMERON.

Witnesses:

LOUSIA E. SIMEON, 1 AxEL V. BEEKEN.

exposure opening, tension means carried by the 1gjate, engaging the.fihn pass- K I I I Signedat New York city, in the county of New York,this s

